Shifting-seat carriage.



C. WESP.

SHIPTING SEAT CARRIAGE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1905.

PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1v Z/Z ZnesJes:

jlzorrzeys.

. y aw.

PATENTBD MAY 29, 1906.

s SHEETSSHEET 2.

G. WESP. SHIFTING SEAT CARRIAGE. APPLIOATION FILED $EPT.18.1905.

Wivwsses: 5 41. Ufl

ANDREW, a. cmmm ca, HOIO-LXTNOGRAPHERS. wlsmumom v. c,

PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

C. WESP.

CARRIAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.18,1905.

SHIFTING SEAT 3 SHEETSSHEBT 3 [n we 12 Z07 z l/w Horn 11 WzIZnesses: 6.a. Mme.

ANDREW. a cmum ca. FHOYO-LIYNOGNAPNERS WASMNGYON, D, c.

. tional elevation thereof.

' the rear seat in line 8 8, Fig. 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed September 18, 1905- Serial No. 278,833.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN WESP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Shifting-Seat Carriages, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible one and two seated vehicles ofthat kind in which the rear seat is slidably mounted on the body of thevehicle and is adapted to be positioned for use at the rear portion ofthe body or to be moved forwardly, so as to embrace the front seat andgive the vehicle the appearance of a single-seat carriage when only thefront seat is to be used.

The principal objects of the invention are to produce a strong,desirable, and attractive convertible vehicle in which the front seat isstationary and free from jointed parts and is embraced by the sides andback of the rear seat, and thus hidden from view when the rear seat isin its forward inoperative position, and to provide the rear seat with amovable or folding bottom adapted to form a part of the deck or cover ofthe vehicle-body when the rear seat is in its forward inoperativeposition.

Other objects of the invention are to improve convertible vehicles inthe respects hereinafter stated, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure 1 is aside elevation of the body of a convertible vehicle embodying theinvention, showing the same adjusted for use as a one-seated carriage.Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec- Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional elevation thereof in line 4 4, Fig. 3, lookingtoward the rear. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation of thevehiclebox in line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a lon itudinal sectionalelevation of the vehic e adjusted for use as a two-seated surrey orcarriage. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, on an enlargedscale, of the rear seat and one of its guides. Fig. 8 is a transversesectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of Fig. 9 is a detail sectionof one of the guides and backstops for the rear seat in line 9 9, Fig.7.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The vehicle-body has a bottom A and preferably has low upright sides aand back a,

which form a shallow box in rear of the front seat.

The front seat B is stationary and in the construction shown in thedrawings has sides I), which rise from the forward portion of the sidesa of the box and are rigidly connected by a bottom I) and back 6 Theseat thus constructed has no jointed or movable parts, and thus isdesirable, as the front seat is always used, whether the vehicle is tobe oper ated as a single or two seated carriage, and the stationaryrigid front seat is strong and durable, and there are no parts to workloose and rattle. Preferably the lower portions of the sides of thefront seat are in the same vertical planes as the sides of the box,while their upper portions bulge outwardly in the usual manner to affordmore seat room and lend to the attractive appearance of the vehicle.

The rear seat C is mounted in soine suitable way to slide horizontallyon the body and has upright sides a, rigidly connected by a back a, anda bottom 0 which is movable into and out of operative horizontalposition between the sides a.

The rear seat is somewhat wider than the front, so that when its bottomis moved or folded out of operative position the rear seat can be slidforwardly to embrace or inclose the front seat, as shown in Figs. 1 to4, and the sides of the rear seat are preferably similar in shape to thesides of the front seat and of such dimensions that the front and topedges of the sides of the two seats will coincide when together, so thatthe appearance of the front seat is very much the same whether the rearseat is in use or is closed about the front seat. The back of the rearseat terminates at its lower edge above the sides of the vehicle-box andin the vehicle illustrated is higher than that of the front seat and isprovided with a back cushion 0 but the backs of both seats could be thesame height, and the back cushion could be omitted, if desired.

In the construction shown in the drawings the rear seat is supported byand slides on horizontal tracks or guides D at the opposite sides of thebody formed by angle-bars secured to the under side of the body. Thesides of the rear seat, which extend down outside of the body, havemetal bars or legs d, Figs. 6 to 9, secured on their inner sides, whichextend in between the sides of the body and the upright flanges of thetracks D ward movement of the rear seat is limited by of thevehicle-box.

its engagement with the front seat, and its rearward movement is limitedby stop-screws or the like 6, Figs. 7 and 9, against which the .rearlegs (1 strike. The means just described for supporting and guiding therear seat in its movements are desirable and do not detract from theneat appearance of the vehicle; but any other suitable means forslidably supporting the rear seat could be employed.

The bottom a of the rear seat is preferably formed by a board connectedat its front edge by hinges f to the front edge of a deck-board F, whichin turn is connected at its rear edge by hinges f to a top strip f 2 atthe rear end The rear-seat bottom 0 is supported in its operativehorizontalposition (shown in Fig. 6) by front and rear supports G G. Therear support G shown consists of brackets or blocks projecting forwardlyfrom the back of the rear seat, upon which acleat g at the rear edge ofthe seat bottom rests,- while the front support G shown consists of aframe or brace hinged at its upper edge to the forward portion ofthedeck-board F and adapted to rest at its lower edge on the side sillsof the body. Stopblocksg are shown for preventing the brace fromslipping forwardly; but these blocks are not absolutely necessary, asthe square hinged ends of the brace bearing against the deck board willhold the lower end of the brace from slipping forwardly. Thesupporting-brackets and brace rigidly hold the bottom in horizontalposition, and as the bottom is connected to the deck-board, which inturn is connected to the vehicle-box and held up by the brace, thebottom when in position on the rear support locks the rear seat fromforward movement. The rear seat cannot be slid forwardly until itsbottom is moved out of engagement with the supportingbrackets onitsback.

When the rear seat is in use and it is desired to convert the carriageinto a oneseated vehicle, the bottom of the rear seat is lifted off ofits rear supports G, and it and the deck-board F are swung upwardlyuntil the brace G can be reached and folded back a ainst the under sideof the deck-board.

down the rear seat can be slid forwardly over I them to the positionshown in Figs- 1 to 3. When the bottom of the rear seat is turned down,as described, the cleat g projects up-- as shown, the cushion is removedbefore thebottom is turned down. The cushion can be stored away in thebox, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. g

In the vehicle shown in the drawings the bottom of the rear seat' islower than that of the front seat, as it is desirable to have thedrivers seat higher than the rear seat; but with the bottom of the rearseat movable out of normal position to allow the forward movement of therear-seat it could be made either the same height or higher than thefront-seat bottom. I

The construction described in which the bottom of'the rear seat formswhen turned down a part of the deck of the box and in When the which thebottom is supported by the front IOO ment in its forward position by anysuitable I means. Ordinary key-operated locks are employed for thispurpose and are indicated by dotted lines at H in Fig. 4 on the lowerpart of the back of the rear seat. The lockbolts are adapted to engagein keepers on the adjacent edge of the'rear-seat bottom when the bottomis turned down.

I claim as my invention 1; In a convertible vehicle, the combina' tionof a front seat, and a rear seat mounted to slide toward the front seatand having a bottom which ismovable out of its operative horizontalposition to allow the rear seat to IIO embrace the sides and back of thefront seat, 1

ed, and a rear seat which is of substantially the same form but ofgreater width than the front seat and is mounted to slidetoward thefront seat, said rear seat comprising rigidlyconnected sides and backand a bottom which is movable from its operative position to allow therear seat to embrace the sides and back of the front seat, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In a convertible vehicle, the combination of a front seat, a rearseat mounted to slide toward thefront seat and having a bottom which ismovable out of its operative horizontal position to enable the rear seatto embrace the sides and back of the front seat, and means forsupporting said bottom in operative position and which cooperate withsaid bottom to lock said rear seat from forward movement, substantiallyas set forth.

5. In a convertible vehicle, the combination of a front seat, a boxprojecting to the rear of the front seat, and a rear seat mounted toslide over said box toward the front seat and having a bottom which ismovable from its operative position to allow the rear seat to embracethe front seat, and to form a partial deck for said box, substantiallyas set forth.

6. In a convertiblevehicle, the combination of a front seat, a boxprojecting to the rear of the front seat, and a rear seat mounted toslide over said box toward the front seat and having a movable bottom, adeckboard hinged at its rear to said box and at its front to saidbottom, said bottom being arranged to turn down and lowered with saiddeck-board and form with the deck-board a deck for said box,substantially as set forth.

7. In a convertible vehicle, the combination of a front seat, a boxprojecting to the rear of the front seat, and a rear seat mounted toslide over said box towardthe front seat and having a movable bottom, adeckboard hinged at its rear to said box and at its front to saidbottom, a front support for said bottom connected to said deck-board,and rear supports for said bottom on the back of said rear seat,substantially as set forth.

8. In a convertible vehicle, the combination of a front seat, a boxprojecting to the rear of the front seat, and a rear seat mounted toslide over said box toward the front seat and having a bottom which ismovable from its operative position to allow the rear seat to embracethe front seat, and to form a partial deck for said box, said bottomhaving at one edge a strip or cleat which bears on supports to hold thebottom in operative position and closes the space between the back ofthe rear seat and said box when the bottom is moved out of operativeposition and the rear seat is moved forwardly, substantially as setforth.

Witness my hand this 11th day of September, 1905.

CHRISTIAN WESP.

Witnesses:

EDWARD O. HARD, A. L. MoGEE.

